The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-12-24

NO REASONS GIVEN rOR THE UNKx-
PECrGD MOVE.

q
pany, brought about by the unex
pected stoppage of work at Smoky
The Silver Star mill that was starte,
up some weeks ago, and to all &C
counts working so satisfactorily
has been closed down and all worl
suspended at the mine. The i'm
mediate cause of shutting down tn
mill was the breaking of the or
crusher, an old one that had beer
in use for years at other places, ant
constant work soon rendered it O
no practical account. But Will,
this necessitated the closing dowr
of the mill, temporarily. word wa.
received from Philadelphia to stoY
work, and what was regarded as {
temporary closing down, developed
into the strong probability of al
work being suspended during thu
winter. The officials in charge here
appear to be as much in the dark
concerning the move as the out
siders, and general manager Hard
ess states that he is simply carry.
ing out instructions received by
telegraph, and does not as yet com.
pretended why such steps have
been taken. At the mill there are
over 500 tons of concentrates ready
for the drying kiln which will be
shipped to Ketchum for reduction.
Owing to the lack of snow it has
been impossible to haul this ore as
yet under the contract with Horace
Lewis, the terms calling for sleigh
hauling, and the cost of transpor-
tation figured on such a basis. Mr..
Lewis has been ready for some time
to commence the hauling, and has
kept his stock up at considerable
expense, waiting for a sufficient
fall of snow, while drivers engaged
tor the work have been anxiously
looking for orders to start. Quickly
following the order to shut down
the mill word was received to also
discontinue work at the Silver Star
mine, and further orders to close
down the North Star mine, on East
Fork, would not surprise the local
management. The smelter was
started up on Monday last, and the
stock of ores on hand, valued at
about $4,000, will be reduced when
operations will also cease at these
works. j. 1t has been limited that the
true inwardness Of the move is a
desire to reduce miners wages, but
this is hardly probable so far as the
p. e. l. Company is concerned.
President Wright while here two
months ago, expressed himself as
being in favor Of a reduction to
three dollars day, but said that
the P. e. l. Company would not
take the initiative in such a step,
and would only adopt such scale
after the effort of the other leading
companies in such direction had
proven successful. 1t is more prob
able that the source of trouble lies
in some misunderstanding among
the stockholders, rumors of which
have been current. Certain it is
that the prospects of the company
were never better than at the pres
ent time. While but short time
ago the real value of the mines
owned by the company amounted
to hardly anything, it has to-day
two valuable properties in the Sill
yer and North Star mines. At the
former mine in addition to the daily
output Of about twelve tons of
concentrates, an average Of two
tons per day Of first-class ore, valued
at $500 per ton, were also extracted
and the orc bodies now exposed are
of magnitude that ensures con-
slant supply for the mill at the
present capacity for the next two
years. The outlook at the North
Star mine is still more fattering.
The new ore body growing in ex-
tent and with four men at work,
four tons of one-hundred- dollar ore
g being taken out each day, and
when work is commenced on the
second stope this daily product
will be largely increased. Eight
men are kept on development work
md the vein now shows a width of
our feet in solid ore. The COM
oany has also instructed the local
management not to purchase any
more ore at present. 1t is useless
o deny tina this unexpected move
IN the part of the company has had
depressing effect, but the fears
low entertained may shortly prove
O have been harmless ones, and a
satisfactory explanation made re-
,arding the closing down. About
ifty men are thrown out of win
er's job at Smoky, most of whom
,ill come to Ketchum, and the
um Der will be largely increased if
he North Star mine is also shut
own.